JoeScan Debuts Next Gen Scanner

Posted by Jo English on 6th November 2018

JS-50 prototype turns heads at TP&EE

JoeScan gave visitors a glimpse at the future of sawmill scanning during TP&EE in Portland, Oregon. The 3D laser scanning leaders brought a pair of interactive demos to their booth, showcasing a variety of innovations exclusive to their latest JS-50 prototype devices.

By leveraging sixteen years of sawmill industry engineering, as well as the latest advances in hardware technology, JoeScan has built their best 3D scanner yet. The new JS-50 scan heads bring twice the speed, resolution, and data density, all in a package ¼ the size and weight of earlier models

Performance benefits were demonstrated on a log supported by two flights that visitors pushed through a towering scan arch. The on-screen visualization laid bare the improvement in data density. Visitors also commented on how the dual camera design produced data around the flights that would be missed by single camera scanners.

The second demo offered a hands-on test of the JS-50’s new dovetail snap-mount and single cable connector. Untrained visitors were able to remove and replace scan heads in less than ten seconds with this intuitive new system.

Using a power-over-ethernet architecture cuts the number of cables needed in half. For instance a large system would go from 48 cables down to just 24. This cable uses a single industry-standard RJ45 ethernet plug, making for extremely tidy junction boxes. It also removes the need for a dedicated power supply, reduces cable management complexity, and dramatically improves troubleshooting time.

“Our inspiration for the snap mount was the repeatability of picatinny rail systems used by the military for rifle optics,” says mechanical engineer Vadim Kovalev. “We wanted to create something that was very easy to use, and that would allow for heads to be swapped without recalibration.”

But perhaps the most visually stunning feature of the new JoeScan is its size and shape. The JS-50 comes in at a slender 19 inches by 3 inches by 1½ inches and sports a sleek, bow-like style. This makes it significantly easier to handle and install than earlier models. The smaller package also opens it up to applications without much room for scanning hardware.

Overall the JS-50’s new features proved to be very popular with show attendees. Both sawmill operators and optimization experts agreed that the new model will raise the bar JoeScan has already set for simplicity and reliability in sawmill scanning.

“We are pleased with the positive response the JS-50 is generating,” said Jason Farmer, JoeScan’s vice president of engineering. “But we aren’t surprised. We’ve built a compelling technology roadmap, focused exclusively on the sawmill industry, and the JS-50 is our first step down that path. It is an exciting time to be scanning with JoeScan.”

These prototype units impressed, and the final commercial version of the JS-50 will be available for purchase in early 2019.